14 Famous Food Myths Proved Wrong By Science

Superstitions and myths are something we are familiar with. Let it be our mothers asking us to eat two bananas at a time or the neighborhood lady warning us against the health risks of using wooden spoons, we heard all have heard about these things which do not have any scientific backing to it. Here is a list of those myths with scientific reasoning proving them wrong.

1.WOODEN CHOPPING BOARDS HOARD BACTERIA

There is no scientific data backing this claim. The only way to ensure your plastic or wooden cutting boards are safe from bacteria is to wash them thoroughly after use and use separate boards for cutting cooked and uncooked food as raw foods tend to have more bacteria which are eventually killed off during cooking.

2. ADDING SALT TO WATER MAKES IT BOIL FASTER

As the saying goes ‘a watched pot never boils’, we all hate to wait for the pot of water to start boiling so we can add pasta to it or make tea out of it hence there is a myth regarding this that if you add salt to water, it boils faster. whereas, it is a well-known fact in chemistry that the boiling point of a pure substance is fixed. According to that adding salt in the water will not affect its boiling point to make it boil faster. However, It will make the water taste salty.

3. EGGS CAUSE YOUR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS TO RISE

Eggs are considered to be the bad guys that increase the blood cholesterol which causes all sorts of heart problems. However, these claims are completely unfounded since eggs do not contain trans fat. Instead, they contain unique antioxidants that help protect eyesight. So whip up those omelettes in the morning!

4. COOKING IN ALUMINIUM POTS CAN CAUSE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Alzheimer’s disease is something that scares everyone. Losing one’s memory is indeed terrifying. There is a myth floating around that if you consume food cooked in aluminium utensils, it can cause Alzheimer’s in the long run. This claim is completely unfounded as any of the toxins produced by cooking in these pots can be removed by our kidneys without causing us harm.

5. ENERGY DRINKS ACTUALLY GIVE YOU ENERGY

If you’re one of those people who actually believe that as claimed by their companies, energy drinks provide you with energy, we have got bad news for you. Energy drinks are devoid of any nutrition that may be converted into energy by your body. However, they do contain horrendous amounts of sugar and caffeine that increase your blood flow rate and trigger your brain into thinking you are somehow more alert. They have been linked to diabetes, obesity and in rare conditions even brain damage.

6. EATING FRIED FOODS CAUSES HEART ATTACKS

As long you do not consume excessive calories, eating fried food has no direct correlation with heart disease.

7. YOU SHOULD EAT 5 SMALL MEALS A DAY

It is common advice given to people trying to lose weight. However, as long as you burn more calories than you intake it does not matter if you eat three meals a day or five.

8. VITAMIN C PROTECTS US FROM FLU AND COLDS

There are no scientific studies backing this assumption.

9. COFFEE IS NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Drinking one to two cups of coffee a day can actually decrease the chances of heart disease. However, you might wanna go easy on the cream and the sugar.

10. CARROTS LOSE THEIR NUTRITION WHEN COOKED

Carrots taste delicious even raw, however, if you cook them it destroys the tough cell walls and they become more nutritious and they great for your eyesight!

11. SKINNING A CHICKEN DECREASES ITS CALORIC COUNT

Removing the skin from the chicken does not decrease its caloric count significantly and only makes the chicken more dry.

12. CARBONATED DRINKS ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Whereas flavoured carbonated drinks are bad for you as they contain huge amounts of sugar and added chemicals, other carbonated drinks do not harm you.

13. EATING SPICY FOOD OFTEN CAN CAUSE ULCERS

Spices can increase your metabolism but they might cause an uncomfortable sensation in your stomach that could be mistaken for ulcers.

14. ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION KILLS BRAIN CELLS

People who drink alcohol have the same number of brain cells than people do not. Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health and liver but not due to dying brain cells.

Scientific research has come a long way. Scientists finally have the tools to test the theories that may have taken birth in times when they could not be tested. Now, countless scientific studies are available either confirming or debunking a theory so, it is up to us to educate ourselves about the things that affect our daily lives and make better decisions and stop the chain of transferring these myths. Images credits: tapoos